Cuba

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Howell of Guildford on 30 November 2010 (WA 430), when they last made direct bilateral representations to the Government of Cuba concerning the release of the remaining political prisoners.

Lord Howell of Guildford: Our ambassador in Havana last raised the issue of the remaining political prisoners while lobbying the Cuban Government on the occasion of Human Rights Day on 14 December 2010. Our embassy in Havana closely monitors human rights issues and raises them regularly with the Cuban Government. It also updates developments via its website, which can be accessed at http://ukincuba.fco.gov.uk/en/about-us/working-with-cuba/human-rights-cuba.

Government Departments: Documents

Lord Avebury: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will place in the Library of the House a copy of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office records procedures, specifying the conditions for the destruction of documents, referred to in the letter of 9 November 2006 from the British Indian Ocean Territory's Administrator to the United Kingdom Chagos Support Association; and what was the name of the official who ordered the destruction of the draft Phase 2B study Feasibility Study for the Resettlement of the Chagos Archipelago.

Lord Howell of Guildford: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) no longer holds a copy of its records management policy as it would have applied in 2002-03. I will place in the Library of the House an internal FCO guide to records management issued in 2004. Page 15 of the document deals with the retention of drafts as records. This policy is still current.
	With regard to the destruction of the draft of the Phase 2B Feasibility Study, as an unclassified document and as the draft had not been registered as a record, its destruction did not require a formal audit trail or formal authorisation.

Government: Salaries

Lord Jopling: To ask Her Majesty's Government how it is possible to engage, for full-time work, Ministers who receive no salary, given current laws setting out a statutory minimum wage.

Lord Strathclyde: The legislation governing the statutory minimum wage does not apply to paid or unpaid Ministers as they are considered office-holders rather than employees.

Homeless People: Rental Accommodation

Lord Ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much rental accommodation they estimate is available for single homeless people to share.

Baroness Hanham: Data are not held centrally on the amount of rental accommodation that is available for single homeless people to share.
	In 2008-09 it is estimated that there were about 3 million households in the private rented sector in England. Of these, around 350,000 households comprised tenants (some or all unrelated) who were sharing a dwelling. This figure does not include communal establishments or owner-occupied properties with lodgers. These estimates are based on data from the English Housing Survey.

House of Lords: Membership

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Strathclyde on 10 January (WA 396), whether they intend to ensure that membership of the House of Lords will reflect the votes received in the last general election by all the political parties.

Lord Strathclyde: The Coalition Programme makes clear that pending reform of the House of Lords, appointments will be made with the objective of creating a second Chamber reflective of the share of the vote secured by the political parties in the last general election. Nominations for life peerages are a matter for the Prime Minister, whose most recent nominations were announced on 19 November.

Houses of Parliament: Members

Lord Jopling: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to amending the House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975 and the Ministerial and Other Salaries Act 1975 to ensure that no member of the Government from the House of Lords, whilst peers remain unpaid, is denied a ministerial salary; and whether they will ensure that the only ministers who receive no ministerial salary are members of the House of Commons who continue to be paid as Members of Parliament.

Lord Strathclyde: Please refer to the written response given in the Official Report on 22 December 2010 (col. WA 339).

Iran

Lord Kilclooney: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Iran following the arrest of Christians in Tehran on 26 December 2010; what was the response by the government of Iran; and whether any of those arrested have been released.

Lord Howell of Guildford: We are deeply concerned by reports of the arrest of large numbers of Christians in Iran in the weeks following Christmas. Our embassy in Tehran highlighted our concerns to the Iranian authorities, and officials in London have also done so to the Iranian Chargé d'Affaires. We understand that the majority of those arrested have since been released, though non-governmental organisations report that around 14 remain in custody without charge. We will continue to follow these cases closely to ensure that the freedoms guaranteed by Iran's constitution are met.

Iran

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of allegations that Iran has encroached on Iraqi sovereign territory by constructing a wall in the Hajji Omran area; and whether they will seek to have this matter arbitrated.

Lord Howell of Guildford: Rumours have been circulating since 2008 that the Iranian Government may build a wall in the Hajji Omran area of Iraq. However, we understand from local contacts that no such construction has been completed to date. We will continue to monitor the situation and call on Iran to play a constructive role on Iraq. This includes Iran respecting Iraq's territorial integrity and the rights of the Kurdish people in the region.

Israel

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about the demolition of a mosque at Yasra, near Tubas in the West Bank, on 25 November 2010, and about the burning of the Al Qassam graveyard in Haifa on 2 December; and what further steps they plan to take.

Lord Howell of Guildford: As the noble Lord is aware, the UK has a strong record of lobbying hard on issues relating to house demolitions and we regularly raise our concerns with the Israeli authorities. We are particularly concerned at a recent sharp increase in demolitions and evictions in East Jerusalem and Area C. We are monitoring the situation closely and will continue to raise the matter with the Israeli Government as necessary.
	We are also concerned about reports of what appear to be religiously motivated violence such as the example you mention in Haifa, though we do not draw a link with the demolition of the mosque near Tubas.

Israel

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the evidence provided by Defence for Children International that the Israeli Army has used children as human shields since at least 2002, contrary to the Fourth Geneva Convention, and continues to do so, despite the ruling by Israel's Supreme Court in 2005; and what action they plan to take.

Lord Howell of Guildford: We condemn the use of civilians as human shields. This is strictly forbidden under Israeli law, in line with the Fourth Geneva Convention's proscription of the procedure.
	We welcomed the investigation of two Israeli soldiers who were convicted of using a Palestinian boy as a human shield during Operation Cast Lead. They both received suspended sentences and have been demoted.
	Such incidents highlight the need for Israel's investigations into allegations in the Goldstone Report and those made by non-governmental organisations to be transparent, independent and credible. We continue to make this clear.

Israel

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel concerning the three members of the Palestinian Legislative Council who have been threatened with deportation from East Jerusalem and have been sheltering in the Red Cross since July.

Lord Howell of Guildford: The Government are concerned about the potential political deportations. Forcible transfer of people out of the city for political reasons is illegal under international humanitarian law.
	The EU has raised these cases with the Israeli Government, making its views clear. Our embassy in Tel Aviv has also raised these cases with Israel's Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon. The UK was part of a joint European delegation that attended the Supreme Court hearing on the case of Mr Muhammed Abu Teir.

Israel and Palestine

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel regarding the use of tear gas in Bi'lin on 1 January which caused the death of a Palestinian girl.

Lord Howell of Guildford: We are concerned about the death of Jawaher Abu Rahmah who was reportedly killed by inhalation of teargas during a protest in her West Bank village of Bi'lin on 1 January 2011. Officials from our Consulate-General in Jerusalem visit Bi'lin on a regular basis to monitor the situation.
	We support Palestinians' legitimate right to non-violent protest against the Israeli occupation of the West Bank. The UK also supports Israel's right to defend itself. However, we are concerned by non-governmental organisation reports of disproportionate force used by the Israeli authorities in response to demonstrations. We continue to call upon the Israeli Government to act with restraint and in accordance with international law.

Kensal Green Cemetery

Lord Marlesford: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that the listed building maintenance standards for the monuments and chapel of the Kensal Green Cemetery are enforced.

Baroness Hanham: Whilst owners of listed buildings, such as those at Kensal Green cemetery, are expected to keep them in a good state of repair, there is no statutory requirement that they should do so. Enforcement is a matter for local planning authorities. They have a range of powers to require an owner to take the actions needed to ensure the proper preservation of a listed building.

Nagorno Karabakh

Baroness Goudie: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in light of the statement by the government of Poland that "according to the international law Nagorno Karabakh is an inseparable part of the Republic of Azerbaijan", what is their assessment of the border control arrangements within the occupied territories.

Lord Howell of Guildford: The line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian armed forces in the area of Nagorno Karabakh and the occupied areas surrounding it remain heavily militarised. Foreign and Commonwealth Office travel advice advises against all travel to those areas. The British Government urge the parties to the conflict to refrain from breaches of the ceasefire, which continue to lead to injuries and deaths on both sides. We continue to support the work of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Minsk Group to find a solution to the conflict based on the principles of territorial integrity, the self-determination of peoples and the non-use of force.

Railways: Fares

Lord Bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government what methodology is used for calculating the average annual railway fare increase.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government who is responsible for monitoring the basket of railway fares from which permissible increases in railway fares are measured.

Earl Attlee: The annual average actual increase for all regulated and unregulated fares is calculated by the Association of Train Operating Companies. The maximum limit for regulated rail fares is set by each operator's franchise agreement. The current formula for increasing fares at the start of the year, for most franchises, uses the Retail Price Index plus 1 per cent. To support much needed investment in our rail network, this will increase to Retail Price Index plus 3 per cent for three years from the start of 2012.
	Officials in the Department for Transport monitor fares baskets and ensure that train operators comply with fares regulation.

Railways: Fares

Lord Bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government at what point the annual average railway fare increase based on ticket purchases in a given year is calculated; who undertakes this calculation; and what were the ticket purchase figures for (a) each railway franchise, and (b) for all franchises as a whole, in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Earl Attlee: Fare increase figures are calculated by the Association of Train Operating Companies based on its access to databases of all the fares in the UK. The Office of Rail Regulation produces a statistical manifest of UK rail fares in its publication National Rail Trends available from its website at: www.rail-reg.gov.uk/server/show/nav.2026.

Severe Winter Weather: Key Services

Lord Stevens of Kirkwhelpington: To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures have been taken to address the interruption of key services, including oil delivery, to people residing in Northumberland during the recent severe cold weather.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to enhance the safety of Northumberland's residents by preventing interruptions to key services in Northumberland during future periods of severe weather.

Earl Attlee: The Government will continue to do whatever is necessary to support essential services, and to provide advice to businesses and householders on steps they can take to help themselves and others during severe winter weather.
	A cross-Whitehall Ministerial Resilience Team, chaired by the Secretary of State for Transport, has met on a number of occasions since November 2010 to monitor the weather situation and to ensure that appropriate measures are taken to minimise the disruption of key services across the country.
	Local Highway authorities, including Northumberland County Council, have a duty under section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the local highways network in their area. It is for each individual authority to assess which parts of its network are in need of repair and what standards should be applied, based upon their local knowledge and circumstances. In relation to snow, a local authority's section 41 duty includes the requirement "to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that safe passage along a highway is not endangered by snow or ice". Central government has no powers to intervene in these matters in relation to local authority roads. Winter service planning and salt stock supplies are therefore the responsibility of the respective highway authorities.
	The Department for Transport endorses Well-Maintained Highways, the code of practice for highway maintenance published by the UK Roads Liaison Group (UKRLG). The section on winter service recommends that local highway authorities should draw up a winter service plan, which should determine how snow and ice on the roads will be tackled. It also recommends that highway authorities should review their winter service plans annually in consultation with a range of stakeholders. The guidance recognises that authorities may need to prioritise which roads need to be cleared of snow and ice and recommends that they include arrangements for keeping road users informed of their winter service plans. The UKRLG has recently produced additional advice to local authorities for obtaining maximum de-icing effort from available salt stocks, based on experience gained from winter 2009-10.
	Following previous severe winters, an independent panel reviewed the transport sector's response to last winter and produced an interim report in July 2010. This report concentrated on actions that can be taken by local and national highways authorities, salt suppliers, the Government and others to improve resilience for this winter, as well as some longer term actions. A final report was published in October 2010. The findings were welcomed by the Government and took action in on those recommendations which were for this department to take forward.
	Recommendations included sourcing a volume of imported salt to establish and manage national strategic stockpiles of up to 250,000 tonnes, monitoring salt stocks around the country on a weekly basis, as well as producing and publishing guidance on clearing snow and ice from footways outside their property without having to worry about health and safety or other public liability issues. This guidance, entitled Clearing Snow and Ice from Pavements Yourself, is available on the DirectGov website at: www.direct.gov.uk/en/Nl1/Newsroom/DG_191868.
	In light of the early and severe onset of winter, the Government asked David Quarmby CBE in December 2010 to follow up his earlier review of winter resilience with an urgent audit of how well highway authorities and transport operators in England have coped with the cold weather between 24 November and 9 December 2010. This report, along with copies of earlier reports on winter resilience, can be found at the following weblink: http://transportwinterresilience.independent.gov.uk/.
	The audit found that the country's transport systems coped well with the early severe weather during that period. However, to ensure that disruption of transport services are kept to a minimum in the event of any further wintry weather, the Department for Transport will continue to work with the local government sector and transport operators.

Shipping: Ship-to-Ship Transfers

Lord Condon: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in view of the planned reduction in the availability of coastguard stations, what assessment they have made of the level of emergency planning for a major oil spillage off the coast of Suffolk when ship-to-ship transfers of oil in United Kingdom waters are limited to the sea off Southwold from April 2011.

Earl Attlee: The arrangements for dealing with oil spills are unaffected by the current proposals for modernising the Coastguard. Emergency planning including monitoring and approval of ship-to-ship activity is a Maritime and Coastguard Agency Headquarters function. The existing protocols for emergency planning and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency's response capability will continue.

Vehicles: Operating Centres

Lord Bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many reviews of operating centres used by public service vehicles (buses and coaches) have been undertaken by Traffic Commissioners in each of the last five years.

Earl Attlee: Traffic Commissioners have no powers to review the operating centres used by public service vehicles. They have therefore undertaken no such reviews during any of the last five years.
	However, within six months to one year from the grant of a public service vehicle operator's licence, a Vehicle and Operator Services Agency inspector will normally visit the operator in question to check on the arrangements the operator has in place for maintaining their vehicles in a safe and roadworthy condition, complying with regulations on drivers' hours and keeping records of these activities.
	The Senior Traffic Commissioner is currently consulting on draft statutory guidance and directions relating to operating centres.